Protecting the Enemy (3 page)

“We’re clear.” He folded his hands behind his head and looked upward. “We need to lay low for now. I have enough cash in my wallet to get us through a day or two, but after that we’ll have to make our way back to Maryland, so I can get to my funds.”

She was sweaty, had blood spatter on her jeans and just wanted to go back home and crawl into her cozy, memory foam bed. “Why didn’t we just get money first?”

“Because they’ll be all over the city looking for us. When they find out what we’ve done, that we are together,” he paused. “Well, I think you know.”

She swallowed, not sure if she really wanted the answer to the question she was about to ask. “Who is this
they
you’re referring to?”

“Who else? ETE
7.”

The seat seemed to be spinning and she couldn’t get enough oxygen into her lungs.

His eyes widened as grabbed her head and shoved it between her legs. “Whoa, deep breaths.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and did as he instructed. After she was sure she wouldn’t faint, she lifted her head. “You’re part of ETE 7? You answer to—”

Reid nodded. “Boss.”

Julianna dropped her face into her hands and moaned. The only family she had and now they were gone, too. “Why are they trying to kill us?” She searched his face for a clue. Like her, he’d been trained not to show emotion in tough situations. “Maybe they are just after you, because I didn’t get the job done the first time.”

He shook his head. “Think… what happens if you don’t succeed?”

You became a traitor. The reason that until tonight, she’d never failed an assignment.

He propped his left ankle on his right leg. “Think about it. You were my mark, I was yours. They wanted both of us dead, not just one of us.”

He was right. “But why? I’ve always done what was asked of me.”

“I don’t know, but we have to find out. You know that they’ll never stop until we’re both erased.”

Chapter 2

 
             
R
eid watched Julianna pace the hotel room they’d gotten right inside of Delaware. She looked over at him and shook her head. “I shouldn’t have come here with you.”

It pained him that she didn’t remember. “If I wanted to kill you, I could have already.”

She studied his face for a few moments. “Still, letting you take the lead was against my better judgment. I could have gotten to my money and hid out someplace on my own, until I could find Boss and make him explain what is going on.”

Holding her gaze, Reid approached slowly. “As much as you want to believe that you’d be better off without me, you came with me, because deep down you trust me.”

“I don’t trust anyone, at least not anymore.”

That made two of them. “We have no choice. We have to trust each other or we’re both dead.”

Her eyes lowered to the blood splattered on her jeans. “I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be here.” He raked his fingers through his hair.

She disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door.

Reid suspected that ETE 7 had found out about their relationship. But why go after both of them now? Why didn’t they just eliminate him when Julianna was missing? He couldn’t tell her that yet, not until she trusted him. Surely Boss wouldn’t want them dead for that reason alone. Frustrated, he pulled the thick drapes closed on the hotel window. Without trust the stay in the hotel room would be tricky. How would either one of them get any sleep?

With one eye open for sure.

After he took her empty, standard issued ETE 7 gun out of his jacket, he tucked it underneath the chair cushion. He kept his loaded Glock tucked in the waist band of his pants. He glanced at the closed bathroom door and bit down on his lower lip as he narrowed his eyes in her direction. At least this time she wouldn’t get away, the bathroom didn’t have a window. He’d checked when they first arrived. The fact that there wasn’t a window and not that they were up three stories high, was the only confirmation that she wouldn’t escape.

At least not by way of the bathroom.

Reid rubbed his jaw. Julianna really might not remember him. On the other hand, it could all be a damn good act, if she really was working with the enemy. He hadn’t made a mistake by saving her. At least he hoped. His life depended on it. He sighed and glanced at the queen-sized bed. Even though, there would be plenty of room for them both without having to touch, he’d take the recliner by the door. He didn’t intend on sleeping much anyway.

Reid took a blanket from the bed back to the chair before turning off the overhead light. He was switching on floor lamp beside the recliner when Julianna emerged wearing only her sweater. The pink knit fabric against her bare thighs, barely long enough to cover her panties caused him to suck in a deep breath. If she still slept the same way she had when they were together, the sweater nor the panties wouldn’t stay on for long. Desire rushed to the lower part of his body. He’d neglected his libido for entirely too long.

“What are you looking at?” She hurried toward the bed not waiting for an answer. “I tried to wash the blood out of my jeans, but now they’re wet.”

He shook his head as she pulled the comforter up to her neck. “I wasn’t looking. I’m just keeping an eye on you, in case you decide to take me out.”

She rolled her gorgeous eyes before blinking her thick lashes. “I thought we went over this already, when you told me we have to trust each other or we’re both dead?”

Reid’s forehead crinkled and he laughed. “Oh, so you trust me now? Just in the ten minutes you were in the bathroom, you’ve decided I’m not the enemy after all?”

Julianna fluffed her pillow and laid her head down. “You prove Boss set us up and I’ll believe you’re not the enemy.” She pulled the sheet up to her neck. “Until that happens, I guess I have no choice except to trust you.”

He sighed. “Get some sleep, I’ll watch the door.”

She closed her eyes and mumbled, “About as much sleep as a mouse in a field full of hungry owls.”

Reid couldn’t help grin as he leaned his head back on the makeshift bed. He’d almost forgotten how spirited she could be.

***

Dressed in semi-stained, but dry jeans, Julianna kneeled down in front of Reid and reached strategically under his chair cushion as if she were playing Jenga. She’d played the game by herself many times. Without family or friends, one runs out of ways to stay entertained. A single wrong move and the whole plan would come tumbling down, just like with the wooden blocks. She held her breath. Her fingertips grazed the metal of the gun. His warm brown eyes flashed open and his strong hand closed around her wrist. She exhaled. Their faces were only inches apart.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” He gripped her hand and brought it up to his lap.

She swallowed as she looked into his eyes. “Sorry, I just don’t like being…” She licked her lower lip. “Vulnerable.”

He held her hands with one hand and grabbed the gun with the other, never breaking eye contact. After tucking it behind his back, he crossed his arms.

She stood up, frustrated. “What kind of assassin would I be if I didn’t try to get my gun back?”

“I’d have done the same.” He looked at the clock next to the bed. “All right, I think four hours is enough rest. Are you ready to go?”

She nodded. So much for trust. Why did he get a gun? Sitting in one place for too long wasn’t a smart move if ETE 7 were really after them.

Reid stood up and stretched. His shirt lifted just enough for her to catch a glimpse of his lower waist and a dusting of hair, reminding her that she hadn’t been with a man in a really long time… four months to be exact. She chastised herself and tore her eyes away from him.

“We’ll check out and find some food, at the very least some coffee.”

Coffee sounded good and she could always go for something sweet. Especially now. “Okay.”

***

Rosie’s House of Pancakes was as dead as Julianna’s last mark. Even the waitress had resembled a zombie. Julianna brought the ceramic mug to her lips and took in the invigorating aroma before taking a sip of her coffee—Reid ordered his black and healthy oatmeal. Blah. Julianna felt no remorse when she finished off three chocolate chip waffles with whipped cream and syrup. Sugar made most people hyper, but it calmed her.

The tired waitress brought their check and walked away.

Julianna finished her brew and looked up at him. “So, now what?”

Reid nodded toward a man that had just walked into the restaurant. “Now it’s time to go.” He threw down a twenty and stood up.

She followed him out the door. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her around the corner of the building with a finger to his lips. Seconds later, the man that had just come in the restaurant, walked outside and looked around as if searching for something or someone. By the illumination of the street light, they could see that his jacket pocket was pointed outward, concealing a weapon.

As soon as he turned the corner, Reid shot him in the head. How much more blood was she going to have to witness? Ironic, but true she was an assassin that squirmed at the sight of the thick metallic liquid. One of the reasons they’d trained her to erase with poison. They ran as fast and far as they could without stopping.

Out of breath, Julianna paused and doubled over. She didn’t like to run right after eating. The stitch in her side was hindering her. Reid shook his head. Without warning, he picked her up as if she were a rag doll.

She fisted his shirt as the blood rushed to her head. “What are you doing?”

“You’re slowing us down.”

Julianna couldn’t argue, so he carried her the next few blocks upside down over his shoulder. How humiliating!

They reached a small strip mall of resale shops where he put her down. Reid checked for an alarm. An older system, so it was easy for him to disarm. He picked the lock and they went into the shop.

Reid motioned to the clothing. “Choose something to wear. We need to change our appearance.”

Julianna went over to a circular rack and found her size. She grabbed a pair of faded jeans and a black sweatshirt. No one would recognize her in secondhand clothes. While Reid was finding something for himself, she went into a tiny dressing room and pulled the curtain closed to change. She wasn’t cut out for being on the run. Things were getting too messy. Her reflection in the cheap mirror was horrible. She combed her fingers through her tresses. Her hair was crazy from being tossed upside down over Reid’s shoulder. His strong, very sexy shoulder. Her head pounded, so she sat down on the bench for a few seconds.

With a deep breath, she walked out of the room and stood by the counter. A small box cutter caught her eye. Without pause, she shoved the knife into her pocket. Reid walked out of a dressing room. He had changed into dark jeans paired with a gray flannel shirt and topped it off with a baseball cap. How did he look so hot in secondhand clothing?

“Pull up your hair and put on a hat.” He handed her a rubber band that he’d found who knew where.

Julianna huffed as she wrapped a dirty band around her hair, trying not to think about the damage it would do. She glanced at him after her hair was pulled into a tight bun and for a split second she could have sworn she saw admiration in his eyes. Was the man insane? She looked terrible. She grabbed a knit beret from a bin, hoping it was clean.

After locking the door, he trashed their old clothes in the dumpster out back. “We need to get out of sight fast, but the area hotels and motels will be the first places they look. Any ideas on where we can lay low until tonight?”

She nodded without hesitation. “We look for an apartment complex, check the mailboxes and find the one with the piled up mail. That person is most likely on vacation.” The idea had come to her suddenly, almost like a memory. She was certain it wasn’t something that ETE 7 had taught her.

“Jewels, that’s brilliant.” He smiled and started to hug her, but dropped his arms to his sides.

They left the clothing shop and walked the back way through the town. They didn’t have any luck with the first apartment complex. The next, they’d hit the jackpot… after Reid picked the office lock and accessed all the mailboxes to find one stuffed with ads and bills. Careful, not to be seen by a nosy neighbor, Julianna got them inside the vacated apartment. Reid checked the place out while she stood watch. The renter didn’t have so much as a plant to water. Unless the tenant came back before tomorrow, they should be safe there.

***

Reid was surprised when Julianna had suggested the apartment. And even more surprised he didn’t think of it first. On their very first assignment together, they’d run into some trouble with their mark and took residence in his complex at a vacationing neighbor’s place. Had she remembered? His emotions were getting the better of him, but hen again, with Jewels they always did.

Julianna stood in front of him while she pulled the band out of her hair, pain registering on her face. She rubbed the back of her head with a frown. “That’s the hair band of death!”

Reid chuckled as she plopped down on a black suede sofa. He surveyed the place they’d stay for the night. The white walls held cheap contemporary art which mimicked the colorful area rug beneath his feet. A small flat screen T.V. set on an oak stand in the corner of the room. No phone, which wasn’t unheard of these days. He walked down the hall to the only bedroom. No PC. Whoever lived here took any electronics devices with them.